NSF Org:	DEB Division Of Environmental Biology
Recipient:	PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE
Initial Amendment Date:	January 23, 1995
Latest Amendment Date:	February 13, 2002
Award Number:	9411975
Award Instrument:	Continuing Grant
Program Manager:	Henry L. Gholz DEB  Division Of Environmental Biology BIO  Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date:	January 15, 1995
End Date:	March 31, 2002 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$3,850,024.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$3,905,024.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 1995 = $600,000.00 FY 1996 = $609,990.00 FY 1997 = $560,000.00 FY 1998 = $677,200.00 FY 1999 = $842,834.00 FY 2000 = $615,000.00
History of Investigator:	David Foster (Principal Investigator) drfoster@fas.harvard.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	Harvard University 1033 MASSACHUSETTS AVE STE 3 CAMBRIDGE MA  US  02138-5366 (617)495-5501
Sponsor Congressional District:	05
Primary Place of Performance:	Harvard University 1033 MASSACHUSETTS AVE STE 3 CAMBRIDGE MA  US  02138-5366
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	05
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	LN53LCFJFL45
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s):	Population & Community Ecology, LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH, CONNECTIONS, AMERICAS PROGRAM
Primary Program Source:	app-0100  app-0195  app-0196  app-0197  app-0198  app-0199
Program Reference Code(s):	1306, 5922, 9169, 9177, 9178, 9179, 9196, 9251, EGCH, SMET
Program Element Code(s):	112800, 119500, 192200, 597700
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.074

ABSTRACT

9411975 Foster Forest ecosystems worldwide are changing in response to direct and indirect human activities. These present a significant challenge requiring interpretation of the driving variables across wide temporal and spatial scales. These dynamics also present an opportunity to evaluate the mechanisms regulating ecosystem responses. Harvard Forest LTER I assessed temperate forest response to human (atmospheric deposition and climate change) and natural (wind damage) disturbances. The research was structured around five primary areas: (1) retrospective studies of long-term changes in forest composition, disturbance, and environment; (2) studies of current forest conditions, (3) experimental manipulations to evaluate forest response to disturbance, (4) modeling studies of responses to disturbance over a range of temporal and spatial scales; and (5) cross-site studies. Results from LTER I have transformed understanding of forest response to disturbance and have emphasized the importance of integrated studies across time, space and discipline. In particular, results document that temperate forests must be interpreted in the context of past disturbance, particularly land-use. LTER II research is focused on the study of legacies of human land-use on modern regional scale forest processes. Studies will continue to emphasize keystone long-term experiments and measurements with a focus on the five LTER core areas. New studies will (1) strengthen the temporal and spatial resolution; (2) evaluate population responses to disturbance and patterns of species distribution; (3) assess human-induced alteration of ecosystem function, especially C and N dynamics; (4) evaluate controls on C exchange at leaf to stand levels; and (5) synthesize our work across scales through continued modeling, inter-site, and comparative studies.

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